Special Report: Tracking Edo’s Extra-Budgetary Spending AN official fourth-quarter 2025 Budget Performance Report (BPR) has revealed that the Edo State Government spent ₦14.15 billion beyond what was approved in the state’s revised 2025 budget, raising concerns about fiscal discipline under Governor Monday Okpebholo. The overspending cuts across the executive, legislature and judiciary—three arms constitutionally expected […]
Introduction: Identity Beyond Administrative Lines IGBANKE, also known as Igbokiri, is a cluster of communities located within Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State. Administratively, the people fall under Edo State governance structures. Culturally and linguistically, however, Igbanke has long occupied a contested but persistent place within Nigeria’s broader Igbo cultural world. The debate over […]
EVENT OVERVIEW & DEVELOPMENT ANGLE EDO State is set to host the second edition of the Niger Delta Games, with about 3,000 athletes and officials expected from nine oil-producing states across the region. The multi-sport event, sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), will take place in Benin City from […]
By TOSI ORE Community Scrambles as Kidnappers Demand ₦40m Ransom for Eight Abducted Edo Indigenes RESIDENTS of Imoga community in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State are scrambling to raise funds after kidnappers threatened to kill eight community members abducted earlier this month unless a ₦40 million ransom is paid. The victims were […]
By TOSAN OYAKHILOME-AKAHOMEN THE Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, on Sunday presided over a royal thanksgiving service at the historic Holy Aruosa Cathedral in Benin City to mark the 2025 Igue Festival. The event brought together Palace Chiefs, members of the royal household, dukes, village heads, guild representatives and other […]
By IGBINAZAKA OGIESUYI OGIAMIEN PRINCESS Igwiyisi, the trailblazing first daughter of Oba Eweka II, occupies a complicated and often overlooked chapter in Benin’s royal history. Upon the passing of their father in 1933, she challenged the traditional succession order, entering into a fierce dispute with her younger brother, the future Oba Akenzua II. Her demand was […]
FOR more than a century, the Obaseki name has carried a weight in Benin that few other families possess—one built on unusual political privilege, repeated confrontations with the palace, and an unbroken thread of proximity to royal power. In public memory, the name is both respected and feared. A deeper look at the family’s history […]
By TOSI ORE THE Edo State Police Command has announced a total ban on the sale and use of fireworks during the yuletide season, warning that violators will be arrested and prosecuted. Police spokesperson CSP Moses Yamu said the rising use of “bangers” and “knockouts” across the state has become a security concern, noting that […]
The Benin Story: A History Every Nigerian Should Know LONG before colonial borders, treaties, and modern politics, the Benin Kingdom stood as one of West Africa’s most sophisticated civilisations. Its people engineered massive earthworks that stretched farther than the Great Wall of China, developed a complex administrative system, and produced bronze artworks so advanced that […]
By TOSAN OYAKHILOME-AKAHOMEN EDO State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the ongoing land dispute between Edo and Delta states. He made the appeal during a fact-finding visit to disputed communities alongside members of the Edo State Boundary Committee. In a statement issued by his […]